Electric lighter



' B. L. DECHELLE.

ELECTRIC LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE12| 1919.

1,371,869; Patented Mar.15,1921

2 SHEEISSHEET I.

F'IG.1 FIG. 2

I V ill M Law B. L. DECHELLE.

ELECTRIC LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, I919.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 FIG 6 FIG 7 T all whom it concern:

PATENT OFFICE.

Bmworr LOUIS DECHELLE, or LYON, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC Application filed June 12,

- Be it known that I, BnNorr LOUIS Dn- CHELLE, a citizen of the'French Republic, of Rue de Marseille, Lyon, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric lighters of the type wherein the ignition of a torch or striker is effected by temporarily placing the same against two electric contacts, thereby closing an electric circuit, and then withdrawing the striker so that a spark is produced by self induction in the interrupted circuit. 1

The annexed drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure l is an elevation of theapparatus, parts being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side View, part being insection on line'22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with parts in section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 respectively show a view in section of the winding of aco-il used in the apparatus, and a diagram. of the electric in-.

, stallation.

Fig. 6 is an elevation partly in section of a modified form of construction.

Fig. 7 is a plan view, half being shown in section on line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of a modification of the striker.

' The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 is composed of a metal box a provided with terminals 5 b mounted on the plate I). ()n the side wall of this box is hooked, in a socket on said wall a double tank 0 0 the inner one 0 being intended to contain the spirit 0' used for the lighting.

Inside this box is housed the coil 65 serving to generate the extra current for thelighting, when the contacts to be described hereinafter are lightly rubbed with the striker f. The latter carries at its end a wick g constantly saturated with spirit owin to its contact with cotton g placed in the ottom of tank 0 and saturated with the spirit which oozes past the screw it mounted in the base of the inner tank c, by reason ofits not being fully screwed up, said screwing being regulatable at will.

One of the contacts referred to is a tubular member e having a series of transverse slots whereby a series of short parallel bars are formed. This contact 6 is fixed in a Specification of Letters Patent.

LIGHTER.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

1919. Serial No. 303,709.

channel in an (insulating block z' which fits into'an aperture in the wall of the casing and is held therein by a spring j. The other contact is a slotted metal plate a fixed to the block 2', the edges of the slot being parallel with the series of bars referred to, but spaced apart therefrom, so that there is a series of spark gaps between the two contacts. I

The coil (Z is a single coil of bare wire wound upon'a core formed of a bundle of soft iron wires al the turns being spaced apart and the layers being separated from each other by a sheet of asbestos placed between them. One end of the coil is connected to the terminal 6 and the other to the contact a The terminal b is connected by a wire e to the contact 6 as shown in Fig. 2.

The manner of using the lighter is as follows:

-The terminals 6 b are connected to an ordinary electric supply circuit with a voltage of l10l30 volts, and whenever a light is required, the wick of the striker is rubbed lightly and quickly along the contacts a and e, bridging the spark gaps between the bars and the plate a and thus making and breaking the electric circuit, so that a succession of sparks is induced. After use the rubber is put'back} into place in its tank where its wick is again saturated with a small quantity of spirit for furtheruse.

In'the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 the spirit-tank is placed inside and at the top of the box a, the upper wall of which is provided with an opening for the purpose. It is composed of a cylindrical body 0 and a concentric tube 0 to which it is connected by an airtight lid 0. The annular chamber 0 thus formed is lined with cotton or other spongy material,

, more tightly compressed at the bottom than with a supporting flange 7.

The core of the coil d is composed of a bar of soft iron d and the coil itself is kept vertically in place in the box a by means of a tin coupling-plate d? soldered to the said box.

The insulating block 1? is secured by four screws p to the edges m of the box a. The terminals are formed by screws n provided with tightening nuts and counter-nuts 0, 0

The striker or wick-holding tube 7' (Fig. 8) is slit for part of its length, and carries a. ring f provided with a pin passing through the said slit and shifts the wick when the ring is slid along the tube. Thus the amount of the wick, which is to project externally, is easily regulated.

The advantages presented by this lighter are essentially as follows:

1. It is not apt to miss fire in lighting, owing to its construction and capacity.

2. Owing to the air-tight arrangement of the tank, evaporation of the spirit is avoided apart from the short instants of lighting, when an insignificant amount of spirit 1s consumed (about 2 centiliters every six months in addition to the original filling).

3. As it iscompletely constructed of metal and incombustible material, there is no danger of its catching fire and it can remain indefinitely in circuit on the electric installation.

4. It can work on any current, alternating or continuous.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by. Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an electric lighter of the type defined, thecombination of a tubular contact having a series of transverse slots, whereby a series of parallel contact bars are. formed, a second contact parallel with said series of contact bars, there being spark gaps between said bars and said second contact, and means for feeding electric current to said contacts.

2. In an electric lighter of the type des fined, the combination of a tubular contact having a series of transverse slots, whereby a series of parallel contact bars are formed,

a second contact parallel with said series of contact bars, there being spark gaps between said bars and said second contact, means including a wire co-il for feeding electric currenlt to said contacts, and an iron core in said 001 3.. In an electric lighter of the type defined, the combination of an insulating block havin a channel therein, a tubular "contact in sai channel having a series of transverse slots, whereby a series of parallel contact bars are formed, a slotted contact plate fixed to said block, the edges of the slot in said plate being parallel with the series of contact bars, and there being spark gaps between said edges and bars, and means for feeding electric current to said tubular contact and said contact plate.

4. In an electric lighter the combination of a casing having a slot in its wall, an insulating block fitting into said slot and having a channel accessible from the exterior of said casing, a tubular contact in said channel having transverse slots whereby a series of parallel bars are formed, a contact plate fixed to said block having an edge extending along said channel, there being spark plugs between said edge and said bars, terminals on said casing for connection to an electric circuit, a coil in said casing connected to one of said terminals and one of 'said contacts, and means electrically connecting the other terminal to the other contact.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two Witnesses. Y

BENOIT' LOUIS DECI-IELLE. Witnesses: JEAN GERMAIN, LOUIS EROHIER. 

